MAY 6, 2016--On April 27, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) staff visited Masonville Cove, a highly urbanized restoration site near Patapsco River in Baltimore as part of a FY15 Prevention through Education and Outreach Grant with the National Aquarium.

MDP staff members Jason Rolfe and Asma Mahdi met with project leads to see the community work that has been done in the area to raise awareness on marine debris. Marine debris causes huge problems in this area, affecting not only water quality but also quality of life in the surrounding neighborhoods. This area of the Patapsco River is one of only three rivers in the country for which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires a total maximum daily load for debris and trash under the Clean Water Act.

Through the prevention project the National Aquarium in Baltimore has worked with community members to raise awareness, organize cleanups, and help the community take ownership of storm drains in their neighborhoods to prevent trash pollution near the storm drains, which leads out to Masonville Cove. With the help of the National Aquarium the area of Masonville Cove has identified 77 storm drains in the Masonville Cover Watershed.

For more information, contact Jason.Rolfe@noaa.gov or Asma.Mahdi@noaa.gov.

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